FAQ

What does CISC stand for?
Chinese Information and Service Center.

Do you only serve Chinese?
No. Our primary focus is on Chinese immigrants and their families, but we also serve many Vietnamese families in addition to Latino, Russian, and South Asian. Our Chinese clients come from all over Asia, from different countries, with different cultures, speaking many different dialects and languages. We do not turn anyone away because of their culture or race.

What do you do?
We help Asian immigrants make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations in touch with their rich heritage. We offer:

• Family programs with multigenerational impact - including preschool and youth programs that enhance academic achievement and bicultural identity, bilingual parent education and family counseling, and elder services and caregiver support.

How many staff do you have?
57 full and part-time, supplemented by over 450 volunteers contributing more than 8,500 hours of service each year.

How many people do you serve per year?
20,000 individuals across King County and points beyond.

Where do you get your funding from?
About 75% from government contracts (federal, state, county, cities), 19% from fundraising, and 5% from United Way. Our current budget is $2.4 million.

How much do you spend on overhead?
88% of our budget pays for direct service delivery, about average for an organization of this size and type. The remaining 12% funds very important and necessary functions like accounting staff to pay the bills, a receptionist, a human resources manager, and an executive director.

Do you partner with other organizations?
We work closely with Kin On for nursing home services, ACRS for mental health services, ICHS for medical and dental services for our clients, as well as many mainstream organizations.